Why Neil Abercrombie bucked Daniel Inouye pick

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s decision to buck the dying wish of legendary Sen. Daniel Inouye and install his own No. 2, Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz, as the state’s soon-to-be senior senator may be less surprising than it seems.

Abercrombie and Inouye were not allies. In fact, their two-decade relationship in Congress was marked by rifts — most notably over Inouye’s encouragement of a primary challenger to Abercrombie in the 2010 governor’s race. Abercrombie and Schatz were running mates in that same election.

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Schatz accepts Senate seat

Akaka welcomes Brian Schatz

So when it came time to choose Inouye’s successor, Abercrombie went his own way — ignoring the deceased senator’s appeal to tap his protégé, Democratic Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, for the plum appointment.

“These splits go way back in the party, and although I’m sure the governor gave due consideration to the senator’s request, I don’t think there was any personal relationship there that would’ve weighed in,” said John Hart, chairman of the department of communication at Hawaii Pacific University. “I think in the end, the governor did what he felt was best for Hawaii, the party; and is also making a statement about who’s in charge of the Democratic Party here in Hawaii.”

In 2010, Inouye encouraged Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann to run in the gubernatorial primary against Abercrombie, although the senator never made an explicit endorsement. The longtime senator was also critical of Abercrombie’s decision to leave Congress early to run for governor, noting that he was leaving Democrats a vote short on major votes.

Inouye and his aides made clear shortly before his death last week that his final wish was to ensure Hanabusa succeeds him in the Senate. Hanabusa; Schatz (pronounced “shots”); and Esther Kia’aina, deputy director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, were the finalists for the position.

“Surprise, surprise. Abercrombie got even with Inouye and declared his independence in a dramatic fashion,” said Larry Sabato, the director for the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Charles Freedman, a close Schatz ally who chaired his campaign for lieutenant governor in 2010, dismissed any talk of a rift between Abercrombie and the late senator as “political scuttlebutt.” Instead, it was more of an indication that Hawaii was shifting to a new era of politics after Inouye’s death, Freedman said.

”I saw them on the road here in Hawaii a lot and just in general,” Freedman said of Abercrombie and Inouye. “I think they had a reasonably good friendship. Differences I’m sure, but I don’t think that played too much, if at all, into Abercrombie’s decision.”

Whatever Abercrombie’s motivation, Schatz had one clear advantage: his age.

Why is everything about race. Where does it say the Inouye should be able to pick his successor. I don't care who they appoint but this idea that it should have been Hanabusa because the former Senator wanted it is just BS.

Democrats like Diversity so they picked a white boy. In the meantime, Virginia is being ostracized for picking a black boy. WE are so fortunate to have such a liberal, progressive media operation to justify all these failures and point them out

However you want to explain it, this was a tragically missed opportunity to bolster the number of women in the U.S. Senate. The so-called "party of women" seems to be waging its own "war on women" by passing up these easy opportunities to select more women:

The Colt..#5...AMEN! Agree! So exhausted FROM all the nuances, split hairs, etc ad nauseum!!! A rock is a rock... he picked who he wanted to pick, death bed wish or no death bed wish, (now they should govern from the grave?) GAWD, enough already!

Maintain the all-white Democrat party? First place, you ignoramous, it's the DEMOCRATIC party, and it's by no means all-white, here in Hawaii. Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard, our Representatives in the house, are not white, and they are women. The man Abercrombie chose to replace Schatz as Lieutenant Governor is Shan Tsutsui. Sound like a white guy to you? Our state legislature is by no means all-white. If Abercrombie had chosen Hanabusa to replace Sen. Inouye, we would have one less representative in the house, and have to hold a special election within a few months to replace her. This costs money and wastes time. And by the way, Akaka, our other Senator isn't white, or haven't you noticed. I'd be willing to bet that most of the commenters here are from the mainland.

The state Democratic Party overwhelmingly chose Schatz over Hanabusa. Abercrombie appointed the party's first choice. The appointment doesn't represent Ambercrombie "getting even with Inouye". It does illustrate that the Democratic Party in Hawaii is changing and that the old machine no longer controls the levers of power.

Ambassador Susan Rice - woman of color - sure hit the glass ceiling at President Obama's request. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is no longer welcome in the president's cabinet and is being replaced by a white male. Lisa Jackson just resigned as Administrator of the EPA will be replaced by another white male.

President Obama has something against powerful women in his second term administration. Especially powerful women of color.

All these senators insist on staying til death removes them and then want to reach from the grave to pick their successor. The decent and sure way is to groom their pick and help them by stepping aside.

Does anyone have a program from the Inouye memorial service? i think he was truly one of the greatest political leaders of our time...i see there is one program on EBAY for $500...probably worth a lot of money one day...